


i must be pretty great

by thecanary



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: First Dates, M/M, following the 'etre libre' incident, i reckon it's their first date so thats gotta count for something, meeting at a meeting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 15:13:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16600391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecanary/pseuds/thecanary
Summary: marius gets dragged to a fateful second meeting, where he actually sits down and talks with grantaire of all people, romance ensues as is want to happen in fanfiction





	i must be pretty great

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DecayingLiberty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DecayingLiberty/gifts).



Marius sure had made an entrance to the world of Les Amis de l'ABC. And that wasn't a positive reflection. Courfeyrac was at least sympathetic. 

"I made a fool of myself," he said, not necessarily to Courf, but out loud nonetheless. The pair were walking home, grateful at least that the house they shared wasn't too far from the Musain, so it was no large hassle to get home from meetings. The downside of course was that when too much was when their friends drank too much at meetings (and it had started happening long before Marius attended his first meeting) it was their - Courfeyrac's mainly - house that was the designated crash zone. 

Even after Marius had avoided the Musain for a week or so - didn't want to show his face after his disastrous interaction with Combeferre, even after the reassurance from Courfeyrac that all was well, no grudge was held, all the kindnesses to that affect - he still felt mortified. It had been an excellent encouragement for Marius to take time to figure things out better, work on not modelling his politics after an idealised version of what his father had stood for and everything. All in all, helping him to recognise the positives of Les Amis' politics. 

All together, he ended up going back, leaving a few months as a buffer, maybe they'd misremember him or something. His hopes weren't actually all that high on that happening, but at least there'd been time to cool off. 

Even so, sitting at the table with Courfeyrac meant sitting with Combeferre and Enjolras which he was certainly not up for, so instead he took a seat at the back, where the conversation (before the meeting began proper) seemed a little less measured and the people seemed more relaxed. It was Grantaire who caught his attention - obviously he remembered him from the previous meeting, it was hard to ignore the man arguing with Enjolras at every turn with such confidence, not the half hearted disagreement that Marius had made, before being, as Courfeyrac phrased it 'brutally silenced'. Marius didn't even see the need to disagree with the analysis - he sure as hell had shut up afterwards. It was easier with Grantaire, who was happy to argue just as much as he was happy to talk about a movie while offering to buy the next round of drinks. 

"Let me buy one round at least," Marius said, halfway between a beg and an offer. He knew most of Courfeyrac's friends were wealthy but surely even rich people couldn't justify buying drinks (not an exorbitant number, but all the same) for someone else for a whole night.  
"If you insist, Pontmercy," Grantaire replied with a smirk and a nod. 

Grantaire was the first to start dragging Marius into the group tradition of sticking to a surname only basis of referring to each other. From anyone else, Marius was sure it would feel impersonal, but for Grantaire, and his lazy toothy grin and eyes that seemed permanently half closed with laughter, it just felt kind. Marius got up and made his way over to the bar, ordering another beer for Grantaire and getting a lemonade for himself, not wanting alcohol for every drink he had that night. He made his way over carefully, not wanting to be like Grantaire's other friend - Bossuet, his brain helpfully supplied - and manage to spill drinks all over the floor, himself, and someone else. 

"Here we go," he said with a smile as he sat back down with Grantaire. 

The meeting was happening in the background now, Marius doing his best to keep his voice lowered, except to nod and agree or react in whichever way seemed appropriate in whichever moment seemed best. Grantaire on the other hand continued to argue, coming up with counter points for Enjolras's arguments excellently so far as Marius saw it. Marius started paying attention to what Grantaire said, Grantaire offering Marius small smiles over the rim of his beer glass before putting it down and raising his hand, calling Enjolras's attention. It was captivating to watch someone speak so freely, and also half exciting that it felt like Grantaire was doing it in some part to show off to him. 

The meeting passed quickly, Marius taking a back seat to the chaos that was Enjolras speaking as if waging some holy war of his own accord, Courfeyrac keeping everyone in light spirits, and Combeferre backing those two up with concrete plans, all the while Grantaire smiled at Marius and antagonised Enjolras, to no end, though it was clear there was no malice in any of it. Once the meeting ended and Marius stood up to leave - to follow Courfeyrac home - Grantaire shook his head. 

"C'mon, stay a while longer, keep a guy company," he said with a smile.   
"Uh, I, I mean, of course."   
"No pressure, I mean, only if you want. You just seem like an interesting guy."  
"That's a kind way of putting it."

Marius punctuated his reply with an awkward laugh. He wasn't really used to getting attention of a positive nature; well, there were Courf, but he had a different feeling that he brought to his interactions with Marius that Grantaire didn't quite match. Grantaire was something different, that was for sure. 

"You deserve it. I mean really man, I know you're probably shook up about the whole Combeferre thing the other week, but hey, everyone's forgotten it by now. That's half my job; being so obnoxious that I'm the only dissenter that people remember out of this shit. Keeps everyone's spirits up."  
"That's good of you," Marius said, only half seriously, with absolutely no idea what the other expression he was inflecting was.   
Grantaire shrugged. "It's what I'm best at."

And so it went on, Marius not quite matching the level of discussion that Grantaire had had with his other friends - loud debate and the like, but he hardly felt the need to. Their conversation was so placed, punctuated with cheesy grins and awkward chuckles from both sides, going on until they noticed the waitress starting to put chairs up and realising that it would be for the best if they headed off. 

"Let me walk you home," Grantaire offered. "I live nearby too, but yours and Courf's isn't out of my way."  
"Alright, sounds alright to me."   
"Also, while we're going, mind if I get your number? I'd love to do this again, maybe outside of a meeting."

Marius wasn't sure his heart didn't stop beating in that moment. He fortunately had the composure to gasp out. 

"Uh, yeah, okay, uh sure. Well I don't actually know my phone number so maybe I can give you my phone and you can put yours in it? Wait, my phone number might be on my phone I'll just check," he rambled without care for a breath, reaching into his pocket to fish out his phone.   
"Keep breathing, Pontmercy," Grantaire said. "You might find it useful someday."  
Marius took a deep breath as subtly as he could as he found his number on his phone, reading it out to Grantaire once he indicated that he was ready. 

"Feel free to text me whenever, I mean, I have classes and all that, but outside of that I'm free most of the time."  
"I'll take you up on that, you better know that," Grantaire warned. 

And like that, it felt like only moments had passed from them leaving the Musain to them arriving back at Marius's house, both of them with sheepish looks on their faces. 

"This has been good, Pontmercy, can't wait 'til next time."  
"Same. I mean, I really enjoyed talking to you, you seem like a great guy, I'd love to go out again sometime. I mean, this wasn't really going out proper, but you know what I mean."  
Grantaire nodded. "We can though," he said. " 'Go out proper'. If you'd like."

Marius could only nod in response to that. "I would like that." As he spoke the smile on his face widened. "I'd like that a lot."  
"See ya 'round."

 

And with that, Marius was letting himself into his apartment, with Grantaire heading off into the night, both of them looking forward to next seeing the other.


End file.
